Latest news with #POTA
The Hindu
12-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
DMK will remain in power with absolute majority, says Vaiko
MDMK general secretary Vaiko on Saturday said that the DMK would get absolute majority in the 2026 Assembly election in the State. Speaking to reporters here, he said the question of a coalition government would not arise as the people of the State would not accept such an idea. He did not want a coalition government either. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin would continue to lead the Dravidian model government by winning the upcoming Assembly election. The MDMK, after holding intensive consultations with its decision-making bodies, aligned with the DMK to defeat the communal forces. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP, the RSS, and other Hindutva forces were working hard to make inroads in the State, he alleged. 'They cannot be allowed to succeed. The MDMK will have no change in its stand in continuing the alliance with the DMK, and the party will work towards the success of the alliance,' he added. Asked to comment on Home Minister Amit Shah's statement that the National Democratic Alliance would form the government in Tamil Nadu, Mr. Vaiko said the former was a person to be sidelined in politics in the country. 'He is a backbone of the Hindutva forces. The people of the State will never accept a coalition government. The electorate will give its overwhelming support to the DMK alliance, and Mr. Shah will witness it,' he asserted. When his attention was drawn on the strong objections raised by the AIADMK for his comment on aligning with it in the past, Mr. Vaiko said he had said that it was a mistake to forge an alliance with the AIADMK that put him behind the bars for 19 months under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA). However, he did not utter a word criticising the AIADMK and its leaders M.G. Ramachandran or Jayalalithaa, Mr. Vaiko said.
Time of India
28-06-2025
- Time of India
Former SIMI activist from Padgha Saqib Nachan dies in Delhi hosp
Mumbai: Sixty-three-year-old former SIMI activist Saqib Nachan, who was arrested by NIA in the ISIS Maharashtra module case, died on Saturday morning while receiving treatment at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi. He was under treatment for six days following a brain haemorrhage. Nachan, convicted twice earlier in terror cases, was arrested in Dec 2023 for allegedly running ISIS modules in Delhi and Maharashtra's Padgha village. Following Saqib's demise, authorities deployed over 200 police personnel in and around Padgha as a security measure. After his release on completion of sentence in 2017, in 2023 he had come under the NIA's scanner once again as the agencies started their crackdown in the 'Delhi-Padgha ISIS terror module' case. According to the NIA, Nachan and his associates were being instructed by foreign handlers and were involved in terrorist activities, including the fabrication of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) aimed at furthering ISIS' agenda. The module declared Padgha village as a "liberated zone" to motivate vulnerable Muslim youths to relocate to the village, the investigation showed. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Nachan's body will arrive at his village on Monday for burial in the local cemetery. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Previously, several residents of the village were apprehended for terrorist activities. In 2023, NIA arrested Nachan and his son Shamil, along with some others, in the ISIS module case. In November 2017, Saqib Nachan was released from the Thane jail after completing his 10-year jail term. Nachan was released five months before the actual term. The period was given to him as remission for his good behaviour. Nachan had then surrendered in the 2002 Mumbai Central, 2003 Vile Parle and 2003 Mulund train blast cases. While 14 people were killed, over a hundred were left injured in these three blasts. All the cases were clubbed together and tried under the now-defunct Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA). Termed as the mastermind by the prosecution, the court found him guilty of illegally possessing an AK-56 rifle and sentenced him to 10 years in jail in 2006. Nachan's two sons are Shamil, currently imprisoned in the ISIS module case, and Aaqib (elder son), who was recently questioned and released by NIA. Nachan's first arrest came in 1992 under the now-repealed TADA Act, in connection with Operation K2, a shadowy alleged plot backed by ISI to ignite Khalistani and Islamic insurgencies in India. He was convicted alongside Khalistani militant Lal Singh and sentenced to life, but the Supreme Court later commuted his sentence to 10 years. He walked free in 2001.
NDTV
28-06-2025
- NDTV
ISIS India Head Saquib Nachan Dies In Hospital After Brain Haemorrhage
New Delhi: Saquib Nachan, head of the so-called Islamic State's (ISIS) India operations and former office-bearer of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), died in Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital Saturday afternoon after suffering a brain haemorrhage. He was 57. Nachan had been in judicial custody at Tihar Jail since 2023 following his arrest by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with an alleged ISIS terror module spanning Delhi and Maharashtra's Padgha region. He was hospitalised on Tuesday after his health deteriorated in custody. Doctors confirmed a brain haemorrhage shortly after admission. He remained under medical observation for four days before his condition worsened this morning. He was pronounced dead at 12:10 pm, according to hospital officials. Saquib Abdul Hameed Nachan belonged to Padgha town in Maharashtra's Thane district. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, he rose as a senior figure in SIMI, an organisation banned in 2001 for anti-national activities. Nachan's name came under national spotlight during investigations into a series of bombings across Mumbai in 2002 and 2003, including the blasts at Mumbai Central, Vile Parle, and Mulund station. These attacks left at least 13 people dead and injured over a hundred. He was eventually convicted in these cases under charges of illegal arms possession, including an AK-56 rifle. A special court operating under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) sentenced him to 10 years in prison. He completed his term in 2017, receiving remission of over five months for good behaviour. In 2023, he was again arrested, this time by the NIA, as part of a crackdown on ISIS terrorists and supporters across India. He was identified as the main accused in what was labelled the Delhi-Padgha ISIS Terror Module case.
NDTV
02-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Massive Anti-Terror Raids In Thane, 20 Detained For Alleged SIMI Links
Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. The Maharashtra ATS, with Thane Rural Police, detained around 20 individuals in Padgha and Borivali for anti-national activities. Raids targeted former SIMI member Saquib Nachan, revealing weapons and extremist documents. Mumbai: In a significant counter-terrorism operation, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), in collaboration with Thane Rural Police, conducted extensive raids in the Padgha and Borivali areas of Thane district, detaining approximately 20 individuals suspected of involvement in anti-national activities. The operation, initiated around midnight on June 1 and continuing into the afternoon of June 2, targeted multiple locations, including the residence of Saquib Abdul Hamid Nachan, a former office-bearer of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). Authorities seized mobile phones, sharp weapons, and documents containing extremist content during the searches. Nachan, previously convicted for his role in the 2002-2003 Mumbai bomb blasts and sentenced under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), had been under scrutiny over alleged continued involvement in radical activities. Recent intelligence suggested that he and his associates were inciting locals through provocative speeches, raising concerns about potential threats to national security. Apart from Saquib, homes of his associates -- including Abdul Latif Kaskar, Kaif Nachan and Shajil Nachan who were also associated with SIMI -- were also searched. Officials of the ATS said the raids are part of ongoing efforts to dismantle terror networks in the region, especially following the April 22 attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. An ATS officer said, "Padgha has been identified as a hub for radicalization, with previous investigations revealing attempts by extremist groups to establish a stronghold in the area." The ATS has initiated legal proceedings against the detained individuals, with investigations focusing on uncovering the extent of the alleged terror plots and connections to banned organizations. The authorities have urged people to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to maintain communal harmony and national security.
